Robert b



llutrd. mes @anni (inflitte,

ROBERT B. KPNER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA'.

Letters Patent N 93,720, lated Aug/ust 17, 1869; marcela-tell Angus; 12, 1569.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINING- A-LETTERBALANCE AND A PEN-HOLDER.

The Schedule :referred to inV these Lettera Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.:

Beit known that I, -ROBERT B. Knexnn, of Phil- '.'rdelphiu, Pennsylvania, have invented a. Combined Pen-Holder and Balance; und I dov hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description .of the saure.

My invention consists of a pen-holder, graduated and combined with certain devices, described hereatLv ter, ortheir equivalents, su that it nur be used as a letter-balance.

In order to enable Iothers skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proce-cd to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part'of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section of nry combined pen-h oldegand bala-nce Figure L adjusted for writing;

Figure 3, the saure adjusted for weighing;

Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, detached views of parts of t-lre instrument;

Figures l0 and 11, views illustrating the manner of constructing the knife-edge bearings; and

Figures l2 and 13, perspective views, showing a modification.

WVith the exception of iigs. 2, 3,10,and 1]., the views are drawn to an enlarged scale` A is a'. hollow cylindrical case, closed at one end, and to this case is adapted a slide, B.

On the outside of the case are engraved, o1." .otherwise' formed, two parallel lines, ac and y, the former being graduated to indicate ounces avoirdupois, and subdivisions of the saure., and the graduations of the line y representing ounces and subdivisions ot' an ounce troy, the main divisions in tirei'ormer scale being an inch in length, so that this scale can .be used as a measuring-rule.

`Near the closed end of the case is engraved a cylindrical calendar, that portion which contains the initial letters of the days ot' thel week being formed into a ring which turns on the case, but cannot be detached from the same'.

'lo thel case is fitted a tube, c, from the inner end oi' which extends a blade, D, und to knife-edge bearings a a', in the tube, arel connected the olevises I) b', which, when turned to a vertical position, extend through openingsc c'in the tube, tig. '7, but may be brought to :r horizontal position within the tube, as shown rr iig.

The cler'is l; consists ol' a wire or rod, doubled atiho centre, to l'ornr un eye, the ends of vthe wire being brought together, so as to forni an elastic clip, for retaining :r letter or other object. At tln` upper end of an exterior' View, showing the instrument' the clevis b are two sharp-pointed projections e c, for a purpose described hereafter.

lo tlreltube C is fitted another tube, E, which is out away at the rear cud to form two fingers, t' Ii, (lic. 6,) and' at the front end ot' the said tubo E is secured a writing-pen, H.

'hen the instrumentis to be used as a pen-holder, the clevises lr b are folded into the tube C, the latter is pushed back into the tribe A, and the tube E is placed in the tube O, so that the pen shall project beyond the end of the case A, as shown in iig. 2, the tbe`E being turned so that its fingers i yi shall close the-openings c cin the tube C, and retain the clcvises in their position within thetube.

When a letter or other article is to be weighed, the tube E is turned, to remove the iingersr tionr`the openings c c', and the tube C is drawn out to such an extent that the clevises may be tu'r'ned to a vert-ical position, (fig. 3.) The slide B is now placed with its edge at the zero-mark on the avoirdupois scale, and the tube E is moved in or out, as may be necessary to balance the instrument, when suspended by the clevis b', the latter being held between tho finger and thumb, which bear only on the points e c, so as to :rllow the clevis to swing freely, and maintain i rcrtical position. The letter or other' article is now introduced into the clip of the clevis b, and the slide B is moved in the case A until the, instrument is bah anced, when the position ot the slide ou the scales Wiitindicatc the weight of the article in ounces (or act-ions of an ounce) either avoirdupois or troy.

-XVhcn necessary, the bla-de D may be used as an eraser, the tube C' forming the handle. This blade is formed of a thin plate of steel, bent, as shown in tig. 9, so'that thetwo portions, on opposite sides of the line 11:, shall be at arr-angle to each other; the plate being ground at the hollow side from thc shank to a point on the line 5, to form edges Ir yr, which are at :in angle to each other, and meet at the point.

The blade., thus formed, may be sharpened upon an ordinary stone, by passing itover the latter, with the hollow side adjacent to the stone, the inclination ot the upper sides producing, with the newly-ground faces, the sharp cnttiuc-edges required.

Although the knife-edge bearings a. a. may be made from steel rods, in the ordina-ry rnanncr, I prei'er to form them by cuttinga thin steel plat-c, li, to the for-nr shown in iig. 1l., sharpening the edges n n', bending the ends, as shown in iig. 19, and thon tempering the plate to produce tire required degree ot' hardness u the bearing-edges.

Instead ot securing the clcr'ises to` the tube C, s described, therI` may be arranged in :t recess in a rod, (.r',(iigs. '12 and 125,) extending into the tube C, and

admitting of being turned inthe latter to nn extent limited by nlpin, 1),-extending into a slot, e', in the tube, openings s, in which, (when the rod C' is in the position shown in fig. 13,)permit the elevises to be turned to n. vert-ical position. AWhen the rod is4 turned to the position shown in tiff. 12, the recess fm. is brought from opposite the openings s, so that the clevis'es ure retained within the recess.

In some instances the @use A muy be formed into n receptacle for a. balance, which nniy be detached n-nd used separate] y from the ease.

XVithout confining myself to theprecise construction :ind arrangement of devices described,

I claim :is my invent-ion. and desire to secure by Letters P11-tent- 1. A pen-holder, so constructed :is to form a. leverbalance, graduated, and provided withv nn adjustable counterbnlance, :nzd with a. clip or other device for securing :L letter to the holder, all substantially :is and for the purpose described.

2. The tube or rod C, with its clevises b b', the whole being adapted to the tube A, substantially :is described.

3. The combination of the tube C, its devises b b', and openings c c', and the sliding tube or rod E, and its iingers yi i, :ill substnlutullyus :1nd for the purpose described.

'4. The plate L, haring knife-.edges n. n', and bent and otherwise constructed asvspeciiied.

pose set folth,

`In testimony whereof, I have signed luy nznne to this speciication,in the presence of two subscribing witnesses j ROBT. B. KEPNER.

Witnesses CHARLES E. FISHER, THOS. J MYERS.

5. The projections` e c on the clevis b', for the pur-v 

